Corinthians cautious about Pato debut

Rio de Janeiro, Jan 28 (IANS) Corinthians coach Tite admitted he doesn't know when Brazil international striker Alexandre Pato will make his debut for the club.

Pato joined the reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions last week after five years with Italian Serie A giants AC Milan, reports Xinhua.

The Sao Paulo-based outfit has prescribed a special training programme designed to nurture the 23-year-old back to full fitness following a sequence of injuries that has restricted him to just 25 matches in the past two years.

"Pato is progressing but he is still in the process of reaching match fitness," Tite said Sunday after his team's 1-0 victory over Mirassol in the Campeonato Paulista.

"Until the physical trainers give me permission to select him I am going to be on their case. I will be doing my best to make sure that he is playing sooner rather than later."